Car Insurance Requirements in Oregon (2024)
Oregon state law requires drivers to maintain minimum-coverage limits for bodily injury liability, property damage liability, uninsured motorist, and personal injury protection (PIP) coverage.
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Written byJoe Dyton
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Joe Dyton has been a professional writer since 1999. He's been writing about the auto insurance industry for 15 years and was an in-house marketing copywriter for GEICO for a decade. Learn more about Joe at joedyton.com.
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Edited byKatie Powers
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Licensed auto and home insurance agent
3+ years experience in insurance and personal finance editing
Katie uses her knowledge and expertise as a licensed property and casualty agent in Massachusetts to help readers understand the complexities of insurance shopping.
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Updated October 30, 2024
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Table of contents
Every state has its own set of car insurance requirements. Some states only require liability insurance. However, Oregon requires additional coverage.
It’s critical that you understand Oregon’s car insurance requirements. This knowledge will help you avoid fees and penalties for driving while uninsured. Additionally, comparing car insurance quotes from multiple insurers can help you find the cheapest coverage for your needs.
Keep reading to learn more about Oregon car insurance requirements.
Quick Facts
Each time you register a vehicle in Oregon, you need to provide your insurance policy number.[1]
Failure to carry proof of insurance in Oregon can result in a fine between $130 and $1,000.[2]
Oregon is an at-fault state for car insurance, which means the insurance company of the driver who causes the accident covers the other party’s resulting injuries and property damage.[3]
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Oregon car insurance requirements
The state of Oregon requires drivers to purchase a few different coverage types. Oregon drivers must meet the following minimum car insurance requirements:
Bodily injury liability: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident
Property damage liability: $20,000 per accident
Personal injury protection (PIP): $15,000 per person
Uninsured motorist: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident
Bodily injury liability
If you cause a car accident, your bodily injury liability covers the other driver’s medical treatment and expenses related to injuries from the accident. Bodily injury can also pay for some costs related to the other driver’s resulting pain and suffering and lost wages, as well as your legal costs.
Property damage liability
Property damage liability covers costs to repair any property that you damage in an at-fault car accident. Covered property includes other vehicles, houses, guardrails, mailboxes, and businesses. This coverage may also cover your legal costs for lawsuits filed against you related to the accident.
Personal injury protection (PIP)
Personal injury protection helps pay for your expenses after a car accident — such as lost wages, medical bills, and funeral costs — regardless of fault. PIP coverage extends to your injured passengers, too. The coverage can also apply if you aren’t driving. If a car hits you while you’re walking, PIP coverage could help pay for your medical expenses.
Uninsured motorist
Oregon requires its drivers to carry car insurance, but that doesn’t mean everyone does. Around 10.7% of motorists in Oregon are uninsured, making uninsured motorist coverage so important.[4] It protects you if a driver without car insurance hits you. Additionally, you could file an uninsured motorist claim if you’re ever the victim of a hit-and-run.
Uninsured motorist insurance covers your and your passengers’ injuries following a car accident. It also covers your vehicle damage if an uninsured driver hits you.
Automobile Insurance Plan of Oregon
The Automobile Insurance Plan of Oregon provides car insurance coverage to high-risk drivers who have trouble finding coverage. Companies that write car insurance policies in Oregon share the risk with one another.
Oregon and several other states are part of an association of auto plans known as the Western Association of Automobile Insurance Plans (WAAIP). WAAIP is a processing center that connects people who have trouble buying automobile insurance with an insurance company that will insure them.[5]
Do you need more than the state-minimum coverage in Oregon?
Oregon law only requires you to carry bodily injury and property damage liability, PIP, and uninsured motorist coverage. However, you may want to consider adding more coverage because the minimum car insurance doesn’t pay for your vehicle damage after an accident.
Insurance professionals encourage drivers to purchase more coverage than the state requires. If you cause an accident and only have liability coverage, you’ll face out-of-pocket costs for your accident-related expenses. You should consider getting a full-coverage policy, which includes liability, comprehensive, and collision coverages.
Liability-only car insurance typically costs less than full-coverage insurance. Oregon drivers pay an average of $102 per month for liability coverage and $173 per month for full-coverage insurance.
Your circumstances can help you decide if liability or full coverage is right for you. For example, liability coverage may meet your protection needs if you drive an inexpensive or old vehicle that you’ve paid off. You may want full coverage if you have a newer or more expensive vehicle. In fact, your lender may even require you to carry this coverage if you have a lease or finance your vehicle.
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Learn More: What is Full-Coverage Car Insurance?
The cost of liability-only car insurance in Oregon
Liability coverage pays for property damage and bodily injuries another person suffers due to a car accident you cause. It doesn’t cover your own accident-related property damages. The fact that liability coverage doesn’t pay for your vehicle damage makes it a less expensive coverage option than full-coverage insurance.
Mile Auto offers the cheapest liability-only car insurance coverage in Oregon, at $59 per month.
Below, you can compare quotes from Oregon insurers offering the cheapest liability car insurance.
The below rates are estimated rates current as of: Sunday, September 1 at 12:00 PM PDT.
Insurance Company ▲▼ | Average Monthly Quote ▲▼ |
|---|---|
| Mile Auto | $59 |
| Safeco | $90 |
| National General | $95 |
| Foremost | $106 |
| Liberty Mutual | $115 |
| Direct Auto | $119 |
| Dairyland | $123 |
| Bristol West | $135 |
| The General | $150 |
| Root | $158 |
| GAINSCO | $161 |
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
The cost of full-coverage car insurance in Oregon
Full-coverage car insurance offers the same protections as a liability policy, plus comprehensive and collision coverages.
Comprehensive car insurance pays for vehicle damage from non-collision incidents, including events beyond your control, like theft, vandalism, and severe weather. Collision car insurance helps pay for vehicle repairs after you’ve hit another vehicle or object.
Mile Auto has the cheapest full-coverage car insurance rates in the state of Oregon. The following list features the average monthly rates for full coverage from other insurers.
The below rates are estimated rates current as of: Sunday, September 1 at 12:00 PM PDT.
Insurance Company ▲▼ | Average Monthly Quote ▲▼ |
|---|---|
| Mile Auto | $72 |
| Safeco | $137 |
| National General | $180 |
| Liberty Mutual | $183 |
| Direct Auto | $225 |
| Root | $253 |
| Bristol West | $264 |
| The General | $265 |
| Dairyland | $301 |
| GAINSCO | $329 |
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
Penalties for driving without proof of insurance in Oregon
It’s illegal to drive without car insurance in Oregon. If a police officer pulls you over or you have an accident without proof of insurance, you can face a number of penalties, including:
Fines: You’ll pay a penalty of at least $130, but up to $1,000, depending on the court’s decision.
License suspension: The Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicle Services Division (DMV) can suspend your driver’s license for one year. You’ll have to purchase a car insurance policy to get your license back.
SR-22 insurance: After you get your license back, your car insurance company will have to file an SR-22 certificate with the DMV — for an additional fee — to prove you have insurance. The SR-22 must stay on file with the DMV for three years.
Financial damages: You can face a lawsuit if you cause a car accident as an uninsured driver. If you can’t pay for the damages within 60 days, you can face license suspension until you pay.
Cheapest recent rates in Oregon
Drivers in and around Oregon have found policies from Safeco, Mile Auto, Liberty Mutual, and more, through Insurify in the last few days.
*Quotes generated for Insurify users within the last 10 days. Last updated on October 30, 2024
Rates shown are real-time Insurify user quotes from 100+ insurance companies and Quadrant Information Services data. Insurify’s algorithm excludes anomalous quotes and anonymizes personal details, then displays refined quotes by price, date, and insurer popularity up to 10 days ago from October 30, 2024. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer’s unique driver profile.
*Quotes generated for Insurify users within the last 10 days. Last updated on October 30, 2024
Rates shown are real-time Insurify user quotes from 100+ insurance companies and Quadrant Information Services data. Insurify’s algorithm excludes anomalous quotes and anonymizes personal details, then displays refined quotes by price, date, and insurer popularity up to 10 days ago from October 30, 2024. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer’s unique driver profile.
Optional car insurance coverages to consider
Having more coverage provides better protection for you and your vehicle. Buying liability, comprehensive, and collision coverages is a good start, but you also have other optional insurance coverages to consider. Consider the following common insurance add-ons:
Roadside assistance coverage
Roadside assistance provides coverage for roadside emergencies, including services like jump-starting a dead battery, replacing a flat tire, and delivering fuel.
Rental car reimbursement coverage
Rental car reimbursement pays for your car rental costs while your vehicle’s in the repair shop due to a covered claim.
Gap coverage
Gap insurance helps pay off your car loan if you total your vehicle or someone steals your car and you owe more than the car is worth. It pays the gap between your vehicle’s depreciated value and your loan’s remaining balance.
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Keep Reading: Types of Car Insurance Coverage
Oregon car insurance requirements FAQs
You need to carry a minimum amount of insurance in Oregon, but you may want to increase your limits or select additional coverages depending on your insurance needs.
Does Oregon require car insurance?
Yes. Oregon drivers must carry the state’s minimum car insurance requirements to legally operate a vehicle. Failure to do so can result in fines, legal damages, and loss of license.
What are Oregon’s minimum car insurance requirements?
Oregon drivers must carry minimum amounts of bodily injury and property damage liability, personal injury protection (PIP), and uninsured motorist coverage.
Do you need car insurance to register a car in Oregon?
Yes. The state of Oregon requires drivers to provide their car insurance policy information every time they register a vehicle.
Does insurance follow the car or the driver in Oregon?
Liability insurance in Oregon typically follows the vehicle rather than the driver. This means if someone borrows your car and has a car accident, your car insurance policy will pay for covered damages.
Is Oregon a no-fault state for car insurance?
Oregon is an at-fault, or “tort,” state when it comes to car insurance. This means at-fault drivers involved in a car accident have to pay for the other driver’s medical expenses and damages. If you’re at fault in Oregon, you may also need to cover the other driver’s additional damages, such as lost wages.
Sources
- Oregon Driver & Motor Vehicle Services. "Insurance Requirements."
- Oregon State Bar. "Uninsured and Underinsured Drivers."
- NOLO. "Oregon Car Insurance Requirements."
- Insurance Information Institute. "Facts + Statistics: Uninsured motorists."
- AIPSO. "Western Region."
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Joe DytonInsurance Writer
Joe Dyton has been a professional writer since 1999. He's been writing about the auto insurance industry for 15 years and was an in-house marketing copywriter for GEICO for a decade. Learn more about Joe at joedyton.com.
Licensed auto and home insurance agent
3+ years experience in insurance and personal finance editing
Katie uses her knowledge and expertise as a licensed property and casualty agent in Massachusetts to help readers understand the complexities of insurance shopping.
Featured in